Progtopia: Book 1 of The Progtopia Trilogy (23 page)

Forty-one

The Year: 2173

Margaret, who was sitting next to Thatcher, leaned over and whispered, “Good luck.”

Thatcher was called to the stand. On her way there, she thought about Nikolai, Fitz, and the resistance. Like it or not, the next few moments could determine the course of humanity. Was she going to be a lightning strike that would awaken the world from their mindless slumber? Or would things remain the same because she acted as a lightning rod grounding all the electricity and turmoil she had created over the last few days?

Lightning strike
. She refused to pull all of this energy and ground it into nothingness, forever. Even if her brief moment in history was to be extinguished by the death penalty, the effects of her message needed to last beyond her days.

She settled into the chair, while Thomas stood with a confidence she had never quite seen in him before.
Lightning strike
, she repeated to herself.
Stay focused, and don’t let him get the best of you
. She took a deep breath as she waited for his attack.

It didn’t take long. He strutted toward her, asking, “Thatcher, you have been charged with treason. Do you know why?”

“No, but I’m sure you will be kind enough to tell me.”

Without saying a word, he played for the audience the conversation she had with him regarding
The Trials
. He was clever enough to delete his portion of the conversation:

“I guess since I live with it all year round, it’s not as interesting to me. Sometimes, I feel bad for the people on trial.”

“What? Are you serious? They’re the idiots who broke the law.”

“The law as it is defined now. Half the crimes people are put to death for were perfectly legal two hundred years ago. I think most of
The Trials
are a circus.”

Thatcher looked astonished and asked, “Is this why I’m on trial? That entire conversation is being taken out of context. You should know. You were there.”

“Thatcher, I figured you would say something like that. For the record,” he turned toward the audience, “after you made this statement, I reported it to your brother, Jonathan. It was at that time he informed me you were already under investigation.” He lied, but Thatcher didn’t know that. She felt more betrayed than ever.

“Investigation for what?” asked Thatcher.

“Your involvement with Nikolai.” The audience gasped, and Thatcher’s stomach sank as she recalled the conversation she had with her brother in the gym.

Thomas continued by setting up the next piece of evidence for the audience, explaining to them they were about to hear a conversation between Jonathan and Thatcher on the day after Nikolai’s arrest.

The audio came on with the words placed on the VRS for people to read along:

JONATHAN: “The book came from our house. So, you want to know what I want? I will tell you. I want you to admit that you gave the book to Nikolai.”

THATCHER: “I did give Nikolai the book.”

Thatcher was furious with her slimy brother. He manipulated the recording! She didn’t say that. She didn’t give him the book, and she never conspired with him. He wanted her out of the way, but for what? Was she that much of a threat to him? Was he jealous? How was she going to explain this? Her mind was turning quickly as the audio continued to play.

THATCHER: “I talked to him about the book, and I always told him about my history lessons.”

JONATHAN: “Just as I suspected. Did you ever tell him what you thought?”

THATCHER: “I never lied to Nikolai. I trust him.”

THATCHER: “Why can’t I date Marco if I wanted to? Why do we have separation of social classes?”

Thatcher was dismayed at how much of the audio was altered by her brother. Telling the world what they just heard was not true would not go over very well. Thomas, Jonathan, and her father would expect her to go down that road of denial and discuss how the tape was altered.
Lightning strike
, she thought to herself while taking a deep breath.

“Thatcher, that is pretty incriminating evidence. Do you even have a response?” Thomas snickered.

Thatcher gazed beyond Thomas, seeing Margaret, then the audience. They were staring. All eyes were upon her, hopeful. She could see it in their faces. They wanted her to win. Determined, she dared to challenge—not the State, but the people.

“Do you want a confession? Do you want me to say I helped Nikolai? Do you want me to tell the world I’ve had the privilege of reading books and documents they don’t even know exist? Documents and books that talk about the triumph and tragedy of the human spirit?

“I certainly won’t deny that with freedom there are risks, and with the privilege of freedom comes individual responsibility. I want every person in this courtroom and those watching to imagine something for me—freedom. What would it look like?

“Imagine waking up every day when you want to, not when the State mandates it. You eat what you want to, exercise if you want, but bag it if you don’t. You study what you like, not what the State tells you to learn. Live where you want, be with who you want. Go outside whenever, not at designated nature times. Read books, study history, listen to music, and have friends. What if you could do whatever you want?

“The State says it would lead to anarchy, evil. People would be out of control. Would they? Would you?” She stared at the camera, then at the spectators in the courtroom. Before Thomas could interrupt, she continued. “What if you had total control of your life? Sure, it’s true you may fall on hard times. Things may not turn out exactly as you may have planned, but it is
your
life and
your
imperfection—no one else’s. Do you want me to agree with the State’s assertion that it, and only it, has the wisdom and foresight to direct you? If that is what you want me to say, those words will never cross my lips.”

The Judge looked sternly at Thomas, and if Thomas had been paying attention, he would have taken the signal to stop questioning Thatcher. He was so focused on his interrogation, he missed it.

“Do you really think your speeches are going to change anyone’s mind? Let’s face the facts, Thatcher, you will be executed and the world will go on, and your little charade here will be a distant memory. No one would abandon our utopia for the kind of world you want.”

“Lightning strikes once, but the damage it inflicts can be mighty. Entire forests have been scorched by just one lightning strike. Freedom resides in man’s soul, and yes, I said soul. Man yearns for independence, and the United States got it right until they lost their way.”

“So, how did they get it right, Thatcher? Seems to me, the United States no longer exists, so they clearly did something wrong.”

“The Declaration of Independence stated all rights came from the Creator, not man. That one simple line made it clear the State cannot give or take away rights. Instead, there is a higher power—a natural law. Government makes laws to promote and protect itself, not the citizens. The Founders’ philosophy made it crystal clear the people were the State. The State never was supposed to have any control. The people were. Like I said, they lost their way, got lazy, and let the State take control. But even to the very end, many pushed for freedoms—just like I’m doing now.

“Every man has the desire for liberty burning in his heart. Right now, it may be a minor flame, but I am here to ignite it. No matter what happens to me, I implore each and every one of you who hear my words to understand your destiny lies within you. Let my voice be the catalyst, the spark, to push your heart to freedom. May God grant you the courage to pursue the freedom that everyone deserves.”

With that, Thatcher excused herself from the stand, taking her seat at the defense table. She knew her father would let her get away with this because each and every question Thomas asked caused more damage for the State.

Forty-two

The Year: 2033

In the situation room, real-time information was coming in by the second. The President was interrupted with news about multiple passenger planes, filled with infected passengers, crashing or making emergency landings. The reports were horrific. Those that landed were not permitted to deplane. Images of a plane crashing into a hospital in Nebraska brought many back to their feelings on September 11th, but they all knew this was much worse.

Once everybody digested the sobering news, the President spoke up. “As I was saying, we knew about this and have been preparing for this day. So, we do have some good news. Our scientists have formulated a vaccination to the virus. The bad news is we don’t have enough to inoculate all Americans. The booster shots you received for mumps were actually the vaccine to this deadly virus. I couldn’t dare reveal the truth about this for fear of widespread panic among the world. I have been working around the clock to get vaccinations produced and come up with a comprehensive protocol to deal with this situation.”

The director of the CDC was angry. “Mr. President, with all due respect, what the hell do you know about infection control, viral containment, and vaccination programs? I can’t believe I was not consulted on this.”

“I know many of you in this room are unhappy to be hearing this for the first time, but I can assure you, we have a plan. Now let me lay it out before we waste any more time.”

The President had his Chief of Staff load a presentation to be viewed on the main screen of the situation room.

“As you can see from the first slide,” the President stated, “there is a multi-step agenda we must follow in order for a civilized world to come out the other end.” Everyone in the room could see what was on the screen:

1. Martial law: Commander-in-Chief maintains sole power until the end of crisis.
   
2. Control the virus: vaccination of essential, healthy young citizens. Quarantine and/or eliminate the sick.
   
3. Control the media: consolidate to one media source. Eliminate internet and social media.
   
4. Distribute supplies: centralize distribution to virus-free zones.
   
5. Rebuild: destroy all bodies, buildings, and regions affected by the virus. Rebuild with centralized, planned, environmentally-sound communities.
   

The only sound in the situation room was the chatter of the reporters on the screens recounting the tragic events unraveling across the country. They couldn’t believe what the President was proposing. The Vice President spoke up. “Mr. President, you are asking for the suspension of the Constitution. It’s a violation of everyone’s rights, and essentially, the dissolution of the United States of America.”

“Yes. Until this crisis is over, that is essentially what I’m going to do. It is the only way to save lives.”

No one knew what to say, and everyone in the room was weighing the pros and cons of what the President was proposing.

“Let’s hear the plan first, and then we can discuss its implementation,” the director of FEMA said.

The President thanked the director of FEMA for his understanding and began providing details of the brief outline that was staring back at them from the screen. The President was adamant that martial law had to be in effect. It was the only way to contain the virus and prevent mass panic. No one could leave their home unless directed by Homeland Security. Any violation of martial law would result in being shot on sight. In order to dispose of the bodies efficiently, they would be burned.

“Mr. President,” the Vice President spoke up again, “you are going to have American citizens shot without even a warning? What has gotten into you?”

“I’m trying to prevent the destruction of the human race. That’s what has gotten into me!”

The Vice President didn’t like what he was hearing and was agitated by the direction of the President’s plan.

Although annoyed by the Vice President’s interruptions, the President continued by introducing the implementation of a lottery system. Explaining each county in the United States would be given a computer system that would randomly select citizens who were to receive the vaccination, he ordered high-population counties be first. They needed to take precedence over the lower rural populations. He pretended he was doing this to contain the virus, but his true motivation was to vaccinate as many of his supporters who were in the urban regions, letting his enemies in the country die.

He explained the random vaccination list would be cross-checked with the person’s electronic medical record, and if they had any chronic illness or disease, they would be eliminated from receiving the vaccination. Only healthy citizens would get the first wave of vaccinations. Homeland Security would go to their homes or apartments, and if they were not infected, they would be transported to a pre-vaccination center where they would be examined by physicians, and if healthy, receive the shot. From there, they would be transported to non-infected zones, where they would remain until the crisis had passed.

What the President didn’t reveal was the lottery list was already predetermined based on the work of the NSA director. Those Americans who didn’t share the same political beliefs as the President would not be on the list.

FEMA was responsible for coordinating the efforts for shelter and food at the non-infected sites. Local stadiums, convention centers, and schools were to be designated as infected or non-infected sites. Once those received the vaccine, they would be placed in the non-infected buildings.

Upon hearing this, the FEMA director grew concerned, but did not share his thoughts with the group. He knew the truth about government response to any disaster. Government is slow, disconnected, inefficient, and painfully inept at dealing with anything, including disaster. Small-scale catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods have always revealed the truth about government inefficiency. All of those natural emergencies have shared the same scenario. First responders are usually local police and fire. Then, volunteers from private groups and organizations often arrive to provide food and assistance long before the behemoth of federal handouts. The government officials usually hold multiple press conferences congratulating themselves on a job well done with excellent coordination of services—when, in reality, they have done nothing to solve anything. With the implementation of martial law, the President was completely eliminating any chance of private groups to come in and help. Local volunteers and church groups often were the foundation of a disaster response, and he knew FEMA alone was incapable of handling a nationwide viral outbreak. They were doomed.

The President emphasized the importance of vaccinating all the healthcare workers in the country to help with the current crisis and maintain delivery of healthcare after the crisis. He announced each hospital in every city and town would be immediately occupied by Homeland Security. All doctors and nurses would be vaccinated. What the President didn’t reveal to his colleagues was the NSA had already provided Homeland Security with data on all the healthcare workers in the country, and only those who seemed to sympathize with the President’s views would receive the true vaccine.

Patients who were infected in the hospitals would be removed and taken to infectious zones where volunteers from the Red Cross would provide palliative care. The President knew there were no such buildings to be staffed by Red Cross volunteers. The patients would be killed by Homeland Security. Bodies would be burned in mass graves. Hospitals were to be used for non-infectious cases only. No patients in the hospitals were to be vaccinated. They had to prioritize the distribution of the vaccine and could not spare a vaccine for anyone who was already sick.

The President emphasized the critical role media needed to play during the crisis. In order to ensure the correct message was disseminated to the public, there could be no speculation by reporters. All radio and television stations across the nation were to be shut down, effective immediately. Only one station in Washington DC, controlled solely by the federal government, would be permitted to broadcast. The reporters were to be hand-selected by the President. The internet, as the world knew it, would cease to exist. No more e-chat, email, or blogs. There would be one website, and it would be controlled by the government. Everything else, including cell phones and social media, was to be blocked or terminated.

Once virus-free zones were established, the National Guard would assist FEMA with the distribution of supplies. The Vice President wanted to know how they were going to feed the citizens who were at home and not chosen to receive the vaccine. The President flippantly remarked, “I sure hope they were preppers, otherwise they will probably starve to death.”

“How could you! These are American citizens, and you are just going to let them die?”

“Yes. We only have so many resources.”

Silence filled the room. They all knew that was the truth, and despite their public assertions that government can take care of everyone, this crisis, like all crises, revealed the truth about government—it is only effective in the movies.

The President broke the silence when he discussed the final pieces of his plan. At some point, the crisis would be over, and the virus would be contained. He announced in order for the human race to survive, the remaining humans would need to unite around the world and rebuild civilization together. They would deal with the details of that plan in the future.

Later that evening, the President addressed the country.

“My fellow Americans, and citizens of the world, as you know, there has been an outbreak of a deadly virus. We are faced with a disease that can exceed the devastation inflicted by the bubonic plague of 1918. What we have, that they didn’t, is science, the massive resources of government, and global cooperation. Not only did I meet with the top officials in our country, but I also was part of a global conference call where we all agreed upon implementation of a plan that will contain the virus and ensure the survival of the human race. We are armed with scientists, physicians, and healthcare facilities that can help those infected with the virus. We also are armed with many government agencies on the local, state, and federal levels that are well trained to coordinate the care and resources that are necessary to survive.

“We do have a vaccine to the virus, but it is in limited supply. As I speak, we have government officials working closely with pharmaceutical companies to manufacture massive quantities of this vaccine. In the meantime, we need to contain the virus. I love this country and the freedoms we have, but for the immediate future, I am suspending the Constitution of the United States in order to save this country, and the world. Effective immediately, no one is to leave their home. We need to contain the virus, and we cannot have anyone transmitting it to others. For those who are traveling and are not home, we ask that you remain in your hotel, airport, train, or bus station until directed by Homeland Security. Anyone seen on the street without the explicit permission of Homeland Security will be shot on sight.

“As stated, we do have some vaccinations available, and we have developed a lottery system for implementation of the vaccine. Homeland Security will personally notify those who are selected by the lottery. Those individuals will be vaccinated and taken to virus-free zones. We expect that, within a week, we will have food distribution centers established for those who have yet to be chosen by the lottery. By tomorrow morning, there will be one and only one broadcasting center available to the people of the United States. That channel will continually update the citizens on information about the virus, manufacturing of the vaccine, and available food supplies in your area. There will only be one website available on the internet, and cell phones will no longer be available for use. All of these measures are being implemented for your safety and security. I will continue to update you on our progress as frequently as possible. Good night.”

Cornelius Montgomery and his operatives watched the President as well. They all knew this was just the beginning. He had received the information from the President’s secretary about the vaccine Franklin’s team stole from Homeland Security. Cornelius had suspected the President would have devised such a plan to infect federal employees in order to spread the virus. As each member of Franklin’s team arrived, Cornelius instructed the metal cases be delivered to their lab. His scientists quickly discovered many of the containers carried the actual virus. The vaccinations were given to the high priority operatives, but they did not have enough for everyone. He needed his scientists to create a vaccine for the remainder of the resistance. He had full confidence they would be able to do that. Operatives who had arrived from the outside were taken to a section of the facility where they were quarantined. Once they were deemed to be virus free, they were permitted to leave the quarantine zone.

All of Franklin’s crew had made it back except for Franklin and Camille. They had lost contact with them several hours after the heist and hadn’t heard from them since. They couldn’t use their GPS tracking system for fear of the government picking up their signal. Since all other GPS tracking systems besides the government’s were shut down, their signal would act as a beacon in the dark—and the government would find them.

Peter was worried about Camille. He never wanted her to go with Franklin in the first place, and now she was gone. All he could do was pray for her safe return. He wasn’t sure if he could go on without her.